Incident: Late Monday, September 7, 2026 into early Tuesday, September 8, 2026, on Highway 50 near Hazel Avenue in Sacramento County, California. Reported by the California Highway Patrol and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and covered by ABC10 and CBS Sacramento on September 8.
The California Highway Patrol said the stop began at about 11:20 p.m. Monday. Officers pulled the driver over because the vehicle’s headlights were out. The driver initially stopped, then drove away on Folsom Boulevard.
CHP requested assistance at about 11:30 p.m. as the pursuit ran eastbound on Highway 50 near Hazel Avenue, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. East Patrol deputies and a sheriff’s K9 deputy responded. Deputies deployed tire-deflation devices during the pursuit in an attempt to stop the vehicle.
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At 12:05 a.m. Tuesday the driver got onto westbound Highway 50 from Hazel Avenue. CHP said the driver then got out of the vehicle with what appeared to be a firearm.
Officers from three agencies opened fire: the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and the Citrus Heights Police Department.
The driver was pronounced dead at a hospital. There was nobody else in the vehicle, CHP said. The Sheriff’s Office said no deputies or officers were injured.
The driver has not been identified. Authorities have not said how many officers fired or how many rounds were fired, and CHP has not confirmed whether a firearm was recovered at the scene.
Westbound Highway 50 near Hazel Avenue was closed for several hours Tuesday morning while the shooting was investigated, causing major delays through the commute.
The California Highway Patrol is leading the investigation. No findings have been released.
Sources: California Highway Patrol, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, Citrus Heights Police Department, ABC10, CBS Sacramento, FOX40, Citrus Heights Sentinel.
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